First Afghan refugee family to arrive in Newport at the end of August
Rhiannon James, local democracy reporter
The first Afghan refugee family will arrive in Newport at the end of August, the council has confirmed.
Newport City Council has agreed to back the Afghan relocation scheme, but cannot confirm how many refugees they will support at this point.
The council said it is doing so as part of their long-term commitment to supporting refugees arriving via Home Office resettlement schemes.
In a statement, the council said: “We are currently working to understand our capacity to assist so cannot confirm figures at this point.
“Newport has a long history of welcoming people seeking sanctuary and will continue to offer a place of safety for those fleeing conflict and persecution.”
Councils across Wales have agreed to offer homes to refugees fleeing Afghanistan.
‘Working very hard’
The Welsh Government’s Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, said: “The Welsh government is working very hard with our local authorities, and indeed with the UK government, to ensure that we can do what we can to provide support in the right places to find homes for people fleeing the situation in Afghanistan.”
Those eligible to resettle in the UK include Afghans who worked for the UK Government, those deemed to be at high or imminent risk, interpreters, cultural advisers, and embassy staff.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said on twitter: “We want Wales to be a Nation of Sanctuary and we’ll do everything we can to support evacuations from Afghanistan. We’re working with the Home Office and councils on preparations to support those who need it.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
No doubt they will be put at the top of the housing list.
Probably. That in itself is not the problem. The real problem is that governments at all levels have failed to get stuck into the challenge of housing provision. There is a deficit in the provision for native homeless, for natives who wish to progress up the rental market, and for natives who wish to step on to the ownership ladder and progress beyond first base. All round failure of service and failure of the market mechanism. Now we have an Afghan influx to add to this mess. Already we have a number of arrivals from Afghanistan and other troubled countries… Read more »